Safety light informer



Feb. 8, 1966 J. LEE ROY HINES 3,234,506

SAFETY LIGHT INFORMER 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May 16, 1962 wrnes Lee Royl-fihes Fig. 4

INVENTOR.

Feb. 8, 1966 .1. LEE ROY HINES SAFETY LIGHT INFORMER 3 Sheets-Sheet 2Filed May 16, 1962 Fig.5

James Lee Roy Hires INVENTOR.

g i 8 BY 'rRArr/c PROG' 1966 J. LEE ROY HINES 3,234,506

SAFETY LIGHT INFORMER Filed May 16, 1962 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 4 Fig 3 32James Lee Roy Hines 1N VENTOR.

BY m:

Ammu s United States Patent 3,234,596 SAFETY LEGET INFGRMER James LeeRoy Hines, Abilene, Tern, assignor of forty-four percent to Harry R.Bridge, Abilene, Tor-3., and five percent to H. P. Hodge, .lr.

Filed May 16, 1962, Ser. No. 195,060 4 Claims. (Cl. 34943) Thisinvention relates to traffic signalling apparatus and more particularlyto the visual indication of elapsed time of the illuminated period of atraffic signal lamp.

Numerous devices have been heretofore devised for use in connection withtraffic controlling signal lamp assemblies having red and green lampsfacing different directions for frame control purposes. The generalobjective of all of these devices, is to provide a visual indication tothe motorist in an approaching vehicle as to the amount of timeremaining before a change in the traffic signal is to occur so that thevehicle operator may be in a better position to exercise judgment as toacceleration, deceleration or stopping of the vehicle. Prior timeinforming devices therefore involved the use of a plurality of timeindicating lamps sequentially illuminated and extinguished to eitherindicate the elapsed or remaining time of signal lamp illumination bythe position of the illuminated time indicating lamp or by the number itilluminates. A separate arrangement of such time indicating lamps wastherefore required with respect to each directional side of the trafficsignalling assembly and accordingly involved a relatively complex andexpensive construction. Furthermore, operation of this plurality of timeindicating lamps for each side of the traffic signalling assembly, Wasnecessarily associated with a relatively complex relay control systemfor effecting the sequential illumination and extinction of the lamps intimed relation to the programmed operation of the traflic controllinglamps of the trafiic controlling assembly. In contrast to such priorsafety li ht informers, the device of the present invention involves asingle lamp for each viewing side of the traflic signalling assembly andfurther avoids any complex relay control system, yet achieves thegeneral objective aforementioned of providing the vehicle operator witha visual indication of the time elapsed or time remaining in theillumination period of a traffic signal lamp such as the green lampsilluminated in one direction to indicate permission for vehiclemovement.

It is therefore a primary object of the present inevntion to provide asafety light informing device associated with a traffic signalling lampassembly which is relatively simple in construction and operation ascompared to comparable devices heretofore devised. 1 Another object ofthe present invention is to provide a safety light informing deviceutilizing a plurality of projector devices for projecting timeinformation through an image transmitting window or translucent screento thereby avoid the use of a plurality of sequentially illuminated andextinguished time indicating lamps and associated relay circuitry.

An additional object of the present invention is to provide a safetylight informing device which is associated with a t-raflic signal lampassembly, consisting of a light confining housing mounting imagetransmitting windows through which time information is projected byintermittent control projector devices mounted adjacent each cornerwithin the light confining housing on opposite sides of the imagetransmitting windows which receive the projected information fromcentrally mounted mirrors adjustably mounted within the light confininghousing.

An additional object of the present invention is to ice provide a safetylight informer having projection lamps associated with each viewing sideof the trafiic signalling assembly, said projection lamps beingalternatively illuminated by the traffic programmer of the trafficsignalling assembly, the images being projected by the projecting lampsbeing changed at timed intervals by indexing control mechanismsenergized simultaneously with associated projection lamps.

These together with other objects and advantages which will becomesubsequently apparent reside in the details of construction andoperation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, whereinlike numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

FIGURE 1 is a front elevational view of a typical traffic controllingsignal assembly with the safety light informer of the present inventioninstalled thereon.

FIGURE 2 is a top sectional view taken substantially through a planeindicated by section line 22 in FIG- URE 1.

FIGURE 3 is a partial sectional view taken substantially through a planeindicated by section line 3--3 in FIGURE 2.

FIGURE 4 is a partial sectional view taken substantially through a planeindicated by section line 44 in FIGURE 3.

FIGURE 5 is an exemplary circuit diagram illustrating the control systemfor the safety light informer of the present invention.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, it will be observed that thesafety light informer constituting the improvement of the presentinvention, is generally referred to by reference numeral 10 and is shownmounted below a typical traffic controlling signal assembly generallyreferred to by reference numeral 12 mounted atop a post 14, the trafficcontrolling assembly having four viewing sides, each viewing sideincluding a traffic signalling red lamp 16 indicating stop, a trafficsignalling green lamp 18 indicating go and an optionally energized tramcsignalling amber lamp 219 which may be illuminated during the intervalbetween which the lamps 16 and 18 are illuminated. The safety informerdevice 10 is therefore arranged to provide a visual time indicatingsignal of the time remaining in the illuminating cycle of the green lamp18 for example so that the vehicle operator approaching the trafiicsignalling device 12 may better evaluate the situation in order todetermine whether or not to accelerate, decelerate or stop the vehicle.For example, the traffic signalling assembly 12 may involve a fifteensecond cycle or period during which the green lamp 18 is illuminated.Accordingly, at the instant the green lamp 18 is illuminated, the device10 Will also be illuminated to provide an image in the form of number 1Sindicating that fifteen seconds remain before the green lamp 18 is to beextinguished. The number image appearing through the device 10 will bechanged each second until the green lamp 18 is extinguished at whichtime the illumination of the device 10 on the viewing side thereofassociated with the corresponding viewing side of the trafiic signallingassembly 12, will be extinguished. It should also be appreciated thatthe mounting of the safety light informer device It) may be varied fromthat illustrated in FIGURE 1 in accordance with other types of trafliccontrolling signal assembly installations or in accordance with othermore desirable relative locations between the safety'light informer 10and the traffic controlling signal assembly 12. The device 10 need onlybe operatively interconnected with the traflic programmer of the tralficcontrolling signal assembly 12 as will be hereafter explained and closeenough thereto so that the time information provided by the device 10will 3 be correlated to the traffic signals from the tratfic controllingsignal assembly 12 when viewed by the vehicle operator.

Referring now to FIGURE 2 in particular, it will be observed that thedevice 19 is housed within a light confining enclosure generallyreferred to by reference numeral 22 which may be made of any suitablematerial such as plastic having the requisite strength for supportingthe component parts of the device. The enclosure 22 is formed of 'aplurality of interconnected equally dimensioned side walls 24respectively corresponding to the viewing sides of the associatedtraffic controlling signal assembly 12. Thus, as shown in FIGURE 2, theside walls 24 of the enclosure form a square and are interconnected bycorner angle brackets 26. It will be appreciated however, that theenclosure 22 may be formed of any number of viewing sides desired tothereby enclose polygons having a different number of sides thanthat'shown. The side walls 24 are interconnected by a bottom base wall28 to which the corner angle brackets are fastened by means of thefastener assemblies 30 as more clearly seen in FIGURE -3. The enclosureis then finally sealed both for light confining purposes and forprotection against Weather deterioration of the parts by means.Dfal-idImember 32 fastened to the corner angle brackets {by means. ofthe fastener assemblies 34 Each of the side walls 24 of the enclosure isprovided with an opening 35 exposing an image display member such as atranslucent screen made of frosted glass, referred to by referencenumeral 38. The image displaying screen member 38 is mounted on the sidewall by means of screen mounting brackets 40 fastened internally to theside walls. An image projecting assembly 42 is mounted adjacent eachcorner of the enclosure between the base 28 and lid 32. The assemblies42 are thereby disposed on opposite sides of each screen member 38,

one of which assemblies is operative to transmit the number imagehereinbefore mentioned, through the screen member 38 with which it isasociated. Toward this end, a vertical mounting post member 44 iscentrally disposed within the enclosure 22 for mounting a plurality ofangularly related reflector holders 46 which respectively mountreflectors o-r mirrors 48 in such a position relative to an associatedassembly 42 as to reflect a projected image of a number through anassociated screen member 38. In the present case, four such mirrorelements 48 are illustrated disposed perpendicular to adjacent mirrorelements but atthe proper angle with respect to the optical axis fromthe projecting assembly 42' as to reflect an imagev confined to theimage displaying screen member $8.

Referring now to FIGURES 3 and 4 in particular, it will be observed thateach of the projection assemblies 42 includes a directional timinglamp'50 including a projection type lainp bulb 52 received within a mountingsocket member 54 fastened in any suitable manner to a mounting bracketassembly 56 to fixedly position the lamp 59 adjacent to a corner of theenclosure inter- .mediate the bottom wall 28 and the top lid 32. Arefiector shield is therefore mounted'on one side of the bulb 52 fordirecting light therefrom radially inwardly of'the enclosure 22.Inwardly spaced and lateral- 1y offset with respect to the directionallamp 5% is a hearing support 60 fastened to the bottom wall 28 by thefastener assemblies .62 for mounting a bearing assembly '64 adjacent theupper end thereof. Rotatably mounted by the bearing assembly 6.4-, is adriven number disk '66 having located adjacent the peripheral portionthereof, a plurality of spaced number cut-outs oii'by means of whichtime indicating images are formed. The number disk dais madeof opaquematerial and thereby arranged to block the light transmitted from thedirectional timing lamp 50 except through the cut-out openings of thenumber cut-outs 68 which are thereforeselectively aligned with the-lightbulb 52 for such purpose by incrementalrotationofthe disk b6. Anindexingmcchanism for each disk is therefore provided including aplurailty of axially projecting index pins 70 disposed between thecut-out numbers 68 for engagement by circumferentially spaced drive.pins 72 that extend radially from a. drive disk 74. The drive disk 74is connected to the output shaft of an electric motor '76 associatedwith each of the projection assemblies 42, said motor 76 being fixedlymounted in the enclosure by a supporting bracket assembly 73 fastened tothe top lid member 32. It will therefore be apparent that uponenergization of the electric motor '76, the drive disk 74 will beoperative to intermittently dis-place the number disks 66 by anincremental amount so as to bring a different number cut-out 68 intooptical alignment with the directional timing lamp 50. Light in the formof a number image substantially reduced in size as compared to the sizeof display screens 38 will therefore be transmitted through theperipheral portion of the numberdisk 66' when the lamp 5%) is energized.

The light projected through the light blocking number disk 66, isoptically aligned with the focusing lens assembly 80 which is mounted inproper optically aligned position for such purpose by means of amounting rod 82 which extends inwardly from the supporting bracketassembly 56 on which the lamp 50 is mounted. It will therefore beapparent that the image formed by the light passing through the numberdisk as, will be enlarged when focused on the screens 33 by theprojection unit 42 within the limited space of the enclosure 22 becauseof the relationship between the projection unit and the centrallymounted reflector assembly which establish optical paths that do notinterfere with each other and which the long enough to producethe'desired enlargement on the screen members 38.

From the foregoing description, operation of the safety informer deviceill will become apparent. Referring therefore to FIGURE 5, it will beobserved that each ofthe indexing drive motors 76 is connected inparallel with its associated projection lamp 56 so that the indexingdrive occurs simultaneously with the energization of an asso- .citatedprojection lamp. It will also be observed, that diagonally oppositeproject-ion unit assemblies 42 are interconnected in parallel-for,alternate energization. Each pair of projection assemblies istherefore energized in accordance with the direction in which thetraflic controlling assembly indicates traffic may move. Thus, therespective pairs of projection unit assemblios42are alternativelyenergized from the power source v84 that may bevavailabl-e for operationof the traff c controlling signal assembly 12 upon alternate closing ofmicro switches 86 and 88 operated through the same trafilc programmersystem 90 that controls operation of the traffic controlling signalassembly 12. It will be further appreciated from the foregoingdescription, that other projection arrangements may be resorted towithin the contemplation of the present invention, achievingthe purposesand objectives in anequivalentror similar manner by forming timeindicating symbol imagesth-rough theuse of intermittently displacedlight blocking facilities, the intermittent displacement beingaccomplished by anindexing mechanism energized simultaneously withprojection lamps energized under directional control. In this manner,time indicating images of a readily visible size may be displayed byapparatus of unexpectedly simple construction, .lowcost and reducedsize. l

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the trafficsignalling lamps facing different directions, a time informing systemcomprising, a light confining enclosure having image display portionsfacing said different directions adjacent to the trafiic signallinglamps, a plurality of time-indicator light sources mounted within saidenclosure for emitting light simultaneously with illumination ofassociated trafiic signalling lamps, movable means mounted in saidenclosure within the optical paths of the light emitted from said lightsources for projecting time indicating images on said display portionsof the enclosure, motor means energized simultaneously with saidemission of light from the time-indicator light sources and indexingmechanism drivingly connecting said motor means to said movable meansfor sequentially changing the images projected therefrom in timedrelation to the period of illumination of said traific signalling lamps.

2. In combination with a traffic signalling device having traflicsignalling lamps alternatively illuminated and directional timeindicator lamp means illuminated simultaneously with one of said trafiicsignalling lamps, means for indicating elapsed time of illumination ofone of said traffic signalling lamps comprising, light confiningenclosure means housing said time indicator lamp means and havingdirectional image display portions, movable means mounted in saidenclosure means and disposed in the optical paths of light emitted fromsaid time indicator lamp means for selectively transmitting differenttime indicating images to said display portions, and drive meansoperative simultaneously with said illumination of the time indicatorlamp means for displacement of said mov able means by incrementalamounts in timed relation to the period of illumination of said traflicsignalling lamps, said movable means comprising a plurality of rotatableopaque disks each having peripheral numbered cutout portionssubstantially smaller than said display portions and selectively alignedwith said time indicator lamp means, said drive means comprising motormeans energized simultaneously with said time indicator lamp means, andan indexing mechanism drivingly connecting said motor means to each ofsaid rotatable disks.

3. The combination of claim 2, including projection lens means mountedwithin said enclosure means in said optical paths of light between saidmovable means and the image display portions for producing anenlargement of the time indicating images formed by the movable blockingmeans.

4. In combination with a traffic signalling device having traflicsignalling lamps alternatively illuminated and directional timeindicator lamp means illuminated simultaneously with one of said trafficsignalling lamps, means for indicating elapsed time of illumination ofone of said traflic signalling lamps comprising; light confiningenclosure means housing said time indicator lamp means and havingdirectional image display portions, movable means mounted in saidenclosure means and disposed in the optical paths of light emitted fromsaid time-indicator lamp means for selectively transmitting differenttime indicating images to said display portions, and drive meansresponsive to illumination of said time indicator lamp means fordisplacement of said movable means by incremental amounts in timedrelation to the period of illumination of said traffic signalling lamps,projection lens means mounted within said enclosure means in saidoptical paths of light between said movable means and the image displayportions for producing an enlargement of the time indicating imagesformed by the movable means, and reflector means fixedly mounted in saidenclosure means for extending said optical paths of light between saidtimeindicator lamp means and the image display portions, said enclosuremeans being polygonal in cross-section and fixedly mounting said timeindicator lamp means adjacent each corner on opposite sides of eachimage display portion, said reflector means comprising a plurality ofangularly spaced mirrors mounted centrally within the ent closure meansfor receiving inwardly directed, non-intersecting light rays from thetime indicator lamp means and reflecting said light rays outwardly tosaid image display portions, said movable means comprising a pluralityof rotatable opaque disks each having peripheral number cutout portionssubstantially smaller than said display portions and selectively alignedwith said time indicator lamp means, said drive means comprising motormeans energized simultaneously with said time indicator lamp means, andan indexing mechanism drivingly connecting said motor means to each ofsaid rotatable disks.

References Cited by the Examiner

1. IN COMBINATION WITH A TRAFFIC SIGNALLING DEVICE HAVING TRAFFICSIGNALLING LAMPS FACING DIFFERENT DIRECTIONS, A TIME INFORMING SYSTEMCOMPRISING, A LIGHT CONFINING ENCLOSURE HAVING IMAGE DISPLAY PORTIONSFACING SAID DIFFERENT DIRECTIONS ADJACENT TO THE TRAFFIC SIGNALLINGLAMPS, A PLURALITY OF TIME-INDICATOR LIGHT SOURCES MOUNTED WITHIN SAIDENCLOSURE FOR EMITTING LIGHT SIMULTANEOUSLY WITH ILLUMINATION OFASSOCIATED TRAFFIC SIGNALLING LAMPS, MOVABLE MEANS MOUNTED IN SAIDENCLOSURE WITHIN THE OPTICAL PATHS OF THE LIGHT EMITTED FROM SAID LIGHTSOURCES FOR PROJECTING TIME INDICATING IMAGES ON SAID DISPLAY PORTIONSOF THE ENCLOSURE, MOTOR MEANS ENERGIZED SIMULTANEOUSLY WITH SAIDEMISSION OF LIGHT FROM THE TIME-INDICATOR LIGHT SOURCES AND INDEXINGMECHANISM DRIVINGLY CONNECTING SAID MOTOR MEANS TO SAID MOVABLE MEANSFOR SEQUENTIALLY CHANGING THE IMAGES PROJECTED THEREFROM IN TIMEDRELATION TO THE PERIOD OF ILLUMINATION OF SAID TRAFFIC SIGNALLING LAMPS.